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Studies presented in this report were designed to investigate the effects of transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-beta 1) on epidermal growth factor (EGF)-mediated stimulation of cAMP accumulation in cardiac myocytes and elucidate the mechanism(s) involved in this modulation. TGF-beta 1 (20 pM) treatment of cardiac myocytes, in a time-dependent manner, decreased the ability of EGF (100 nM) to increase cAMP accumulation. Significant attenuation of EGF-elicited cAMP accumulation was observed 2 h after exposure to TGF-beta 1 and 18 h after addition of TGF-beta 1, the ability of EGF to increase cAMP accumulation was completely obliterated. TGF-beta 1 neither decreased immunoprecipitable EGF receptors in membranes from cardiomyocytes nor altered the specific binding of [125I]EGF to cardiomyocyte membranes. However, TGF-beta 1 decreased the ability of EGF to phosphorylate membrane proteins on tyrosine residues. TGF-beta 1 treatment of cardiomyocytes also decreased the ability of forskolin to augment cAMP accumulation in intact cells and stimulate adenylyl cyclase activity. Similarly, in membranes of TGF-beta 1-treated cells, neither isoproterenol nor EGF stimulated adenylyl cyclase activity. Interestingly, as assessed by the ability of A1F4- to stimulate adenylyl cyclase, TGF-beta 1 did not alter the coupling between Gs and catalytic subunits. Likewise, TGF-beta 1 did not alter the functional activity of the inhibitory regulatory element of the system, Gi. Western analysis of cellular proteins revealed that TGF-beta 1 did not alter the amounts of Ga alpha, Gi alpha 2, and Gi alpha 3. We conclude that TGF-beta 1 attenuates EGF-elicited cAMP accumulation in cardiomyocytes, in part, by decreasing the EGF receptor kinase function and that TGF-beta 1-mediated alterations in the activity of adenylyl cyclase catalytic subunit also contribute toward the regulation of adenylyl cyclase by various agonists.

Previously we have shown that epidermal growth factor (EGF) stimulates cardiac adenylyl cyclase and increases cAMP accumulation in the rat heart (Nair et al., Biochem. J. 264, 563-571, 1989). Moreover, we have shown that the stimulation of adenylyl cyclase by EGF in heart is mediated via activation of the stimulatory GTP binding regulatory protein Gs alpha (Nair et al., J. Biol. Chem. 265, 21317-21322, 1990). Since cAMP increases the beating rate of hearts, studies were performed to investigate the effects of EGF on mechanical function of the heart and the role of cAMP in mediating the cardiac effects of EGF. In isolated perfused rat hearts EGF (15 nM) decreased perfusion pressure, increased ventricular contractility and heart rate in a manner similar to that observed with the beta-adrenergic receptor agonist isoproterenol (10 nM). In the presence of the adenosine A1 receptor agonist (-)-N6-(R-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine (PIA, 100 nM) which via activation of the inhibitory GTP binding protein Gi inhibits adenylyl cyclase, the effects of EGF on cAMP accumulation in the heart were markedly attenuated. PIA also decreased the ability of EGF and isoproterenol to alter cardiac contractility and beating rate. However, PIA did not attenuate the increase in heart rate and contractility induced by the alpha-adrenergic agonist phenylephrine which does not stimulate cAMP accumulation in the heart. These data suggest that EGF alters cardiac function by increasing cellular cAMP accumulation.

In isolated perfused rat hearts, epidermal growth factor (EGF; 15 nM) increased cellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) content by 9.5-fold. In rat cardiac membranes, EGF also stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in a dose-dependent manner, with maximal stimulation (35% above control) being observed at 10 nM-EGF. Half-maximal stimulation of adenylate cyclase was observed at 40 pM-EGF. Although the beta-adrenergic-receptor antagonist propranolol markedly attenuated the isoprenaline-mediated increase in cAMP content of perfused hearts and stimulation of adenylate cyclase activity, it did not alter the ability of EGF to elevate tissue cAMP content and stimulate adenylate cyclase. The involvement of a guanine-nucleotide-binding protein (G-protein) in the activation of adenylate cyclase by EGF was indicated by the following evidence. First, the EGF-mediated stimulation of adenylate cyclase required the presence of the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue, guanyl-5'-yl-imidodiphosphate (p[NH]ppG). Maximal stimulation was observed in the presence of 10 microM-p[NH]ppG. Secondly, in the presence of 10 microM-p[NH]ppG, the stable GDP analogue guanosine 5'-[beta-thio]diphosphate at a concentration of 10 microM blocked the stimulation of the adenylate cyclase by 1 nM- and 10 nM-EGF. Third, NaF + AlCl3-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity was not altered by EGF. The ability of EGF to stimulate adenylate cyclase was not affected by pertussis-toxin treatment of cardiac membranes. However, in cholera-toxin-treated cardiac membranes, when the adenylate cyclase activity was stimulated by 2-fold, EGF was ineffective. Finally, PMA by itself did not alter the activity of cardiac adenylate cyclase, but abolished the EGF-mediated stimulation of this enzyme activity. The experimental evidence in the present paper demonstrates, for the first time, that EGF stimulates adenylate cyclase in rat cardiac membranes through a stimulatory GTP-binding regulatory protein, and this effect is manifested in elevated cellular cAMP levels in perfused hearts exposed to EGF.